The liner notes to this recording mention a composing technique used in Symphony no. 6 called millimetrization or milimetrazação.
It is a fascinating bit of compositional invention really. Essentially, the composer graphs a physical image onto graph paper. Then, using the height and width of the imaged object, the vertical contour of the line-graphed image would represent pitch, while the horizontal axis represents duration.
Milimetrazação is apparently how Villa-Lobos comes up with the thematic material of his Sixth Symphony, subtitled On the Outline of the Mountains of Brazil. Here, the phrase 'on the outline' has a literal musical meaning rather than a programmatic one. Apparently, this is what Villa-Lobos did with his New York Skyline Melody as well, making that title more meaningful too.
What does this do to the music? Well, if anything, I notice the angularity of themes right off the bat. There is a general sense of musical modernity to this work compared to his first four symphonies, but this could also be attributed to the composer's 25-year break from the genre. Otherwise, Villa-Lobos' thick, colorful orchestrations remain, as does his rather loose sense of structure, at least from a listening point of view.
The showcase of Symphony no. 7 is its very long slow movement, an attribute which could be applied to its predecessor as well. The wind solos are standouts in both, and it is obvious Villa-Lobos draws the listener towards these moments at its meaty center.
Otherwise, the general musical language is carried across both works, with a certain modernism running through them, although not particularly off-putting. As I am listening to Villa-Lobos' symphonies chronologically, as I did with the piano concertos, I am finding them fairly easy to listen to, and often pleasurably so. Yet, no matter how enjoyable they might sound, I am also finding them hard to love. Is it the composer's loose, fantasia-style structures, the Impressionistic colors and wafts, or something else? I can't really put my finger on it.
I am also less enamored with the boomy, empty São Paul Hall. It doesn't necessarily obscure any of the music making, but the billowy acoustic has never been a favorite of mine, no matter which label or ensemble is involved. As this was the first volume in the Naxos Villa-Lobos symphony series, perhaps they hadn't tamed this acoustical aspect yet.
So too, these symphonies are markedly slower than competing recordings on CPO and Marco Polo, although I understand this might be due to different revised versions. The slower tempos certainly allow more of the details and build-ups to resonate with the listener, but I wonder if I would enjoy a snappier presentation. In any case, the São Paulo players are wonderful in this music, and Isaac Karabtchevsky lends plenty of energy and thoughtfulness into these pieces.
Listen on YouTube
Works
Symphony no. 6 (28.49)
Symphony no. 7 (39.28)
Performers
São Paulo Symphony Orchestra
Isaac Karabtchevsky, conductor
Label: Naxos
Year: 2012
Total Timing: 68.18
Find more Villa-Lobos recordings HERE!
No comments:
Post a Comment